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InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta: Traveler Reviews

Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating:
  • A summary score based on quality, quantity and age of traveler ratings.
4 of 5 stars 141 reviews
141 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
65
4.0 of 5 stars
36
3.0 of 5 stars
18
2.0 of 5 stars
16
1.0 of 5 stars
6
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#16 of 103 hotels in Puerto Vallarta
Show Hotel DetailsHide Hotel Details
  • Hotel class: 4 of 5
  • Rooms: 120
Description: Beachfront hotel with Mexican decor, rooms with private balconies - 8 kms from downtown, 7 kms from airport. This description is based on information provided by the hotel.
Address:
Carretera a Barra de Navidad Km. 8.5
Puerto Vallarta 48300
Mexico
Check Rates: $184 Avg. Price
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TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

( 14-18 of 141 )
“Decent hotel; inconveniently located”

InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

Mar 16, 2008
4/4 found this review helpful

This might sound strange, but I would not stay at this property again, although I enjoyed my stay. When you first arrive at the hotel, you can't help but be impressed . . . friendly staff and the entrance and lobby area are beautiful.

The staff - The staff is excellent. Both check-in and check-out were quick and painless. The bellhops were outstanding at arranging cabs. And staff at the pool bar, restaurant, concierge, etc. were all top notch.

The rooms - The rooms are not glamorous, and the decor is nothing to get excited about. They're very plain. I would describe the rooms as functional. I was on the 3rd floor and enjoyed the ocean view. I understand you can pay more for higher floors, but I'd have to find out what they saw different from me to know if that's worthwhile.

Beds are hard as a rock, but since I like that, I'm not complaining. Air conditioning in the room worked quite well. Rooms were very clean and also very large -- plenty of space to walk around. Also had a balcony with a chair and chaise lounger.

The bathroom was huge . . . almost Vegas sized . . . and with lots of space to spread things out. Water pressure in the shower was excellent.

My only complaints with the room itself is the lack of nice furnishings (not that I really cared) and the lack of drawer space. Please note that if you are a light sleeper, the surf is quite loud and can keep you up (although I found it soothing). There is no safe in the room, although they offer a safe at the front desk.

The pool - The pool is nice, warm enough, and there were plenty of chairs, most in the sun. In fact, chairs were so plentiful I wonder if the hotel was more than 1/3 full. We just never saw many people anywhere in the hotel. Beach towels are plentiful too and huge. I must say, however, that I didn't spend much time at the pool. The only reason I would complain about the pool is that I visited the Mismaloya resort one day and their pool area was about 3 times as large and much nicer. But I understand Mismaloya is all inclusive. And that's not to say the pool area is not nice.

The beach - Very nice, plenty of chairs for guests, and no obnoxious vendors bothering you. So what's not to like? The surf, undertow . . . extremely rough, such that it was unpleasant and exhausting to go in (and get out of) the water, and it was like this all 7 days of my visit (and I'm a strong swimmer). Rarely did anyone venture into the ocean and almost every day the red flag stood proud warning against going into the water. This fact alone would keep me from returning. On the other hand, the tide at Los Muertos beach was much lighter, and the surf at Mismaloya beach almost non-existent. I like going in the water, so not being able to go in the water pretty much ruined the beach part of the hotel for me.

The restaurant - We really only sampled the breakfast buffet (except one afternoon of guacamole and chips and salsa), but it's very nice. Great selection of fruits, yogurts, juices. Waffles, quesadillas, omelets, toast, eggs, etc. Fridays through Sundays seemed to offer a much more expanded buffet. The chilaquiles, when fresh, were the best find on the buffet. They also offered a very nice selection of salsas.

There's a nice workout area that was typically empty - 2 treadmills, an elliptical, a bike, weight machines, dumbbells and a television.

Near the fitness center was another room with 4 computer terminals and free internet use. I never had to wait to use the internet. Bring your laptop for the free wi-fi in the lobby area.

When I say the hotel is inconveniently located, I say so because it is about a 20 minute cab ride (around $7) to the old town area. On a previous stay, I stayed at Camino Real (now Dreams), which is about 7-8 minutes away from the Intercontinental, towards the old town area. It's only about a 5 or so minute cab ride to Mismaloya. Since we chose to dine in town every night, the cab rides became a bit tiring. If you are planning on going into town a lot, you better think carefully about staying here. Also, there is nowhere to walk to in the area.

Overall, I'd rate this a 3 to 3.5 star resort. The best aspect of the hotel was certainly the service. The staff is very friendly and goes out of their way to help. The surf at the beach was the most disappointing part of my stay. If going in the ocean is important to you, you might want to choose someplace else to stay. Finally, if you are expecting typical "Intercontinental" standards, don't (the service is up to that standard, but not much else).

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Staff; room size
    • Disliked — location; strong surf on beach
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
ChicagoToTheWorld's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Friends
Visit was for: Quality time with friends
Age group: 35-49
Member since: July 07, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
probably not
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Great food / Wine
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $184 (year-round)
Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com
“Very Nice Hotel”

InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

4 of 5 stars
Park City, UT
Mar 14, 2008

We are still on day four of a five day stay with our family of four, the kids are six and eight, and the hotel is very nice.

Our room is clean and in good condition and has recently been redecorated. It is pretty basic, but has all we need for a beach vacation

Perhaps the nicest thing is the staff, all of whom are very friendly and helpful. However, the next nicest thing has to be the beach, which is very secluded, safe and clean.

The food has all been good quality, although there are a limited number of outlets, no surprise as there are only 120 rooms.

Overall, we are very happy, and would come again. I'm not sure that stars are always a good indicator but this hotel is a solid 3.5-4.0

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Staff
    • Disliked — Variety of Foo d outlets
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
FamilyMan88's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Family with young children
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 35-49
Member since: March 14, 2008
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Families with young children
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $184 (year-round)
Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com
“The best hotel in Puerto Vallarta!”

InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

Mar 12, 2008
2/2 found this review helpful

Just returned from a very relaxing 5-night stay at the El Presidente(March 2-7).....Everything was perfect! This was second stay in 6 months. We discovered the hotel after Dreams Resort could not accomodate everyone from my friend's wedding party last December. I am very glad for that turn of events. If you are looking for a vacation that is peaceful with great service, this is the hotel for you. The bellman (Miguel and Roberto) were the best....anything you needed arranged, they can make it happen.

The food is very good....the club sandwich is a must for lunch!

The hotel is just south of downtown and is ideal.....only a $7 dollar taxi to get most places......a visit to Mismolya area is a must for the day...(ask for Danny to take you on his boat; great guy)

If you want beer, water, snacks, etc - there is a store in the lobby of condo building next to the El Presidente...no need to go to town either....very reasonable prices also....cheaper than the Walmart in P.V. to be honest.....

I am hesitant to tell everyone about this gem of a hotel because it might get hard to book into - but you won't be disappointed.

I am a fan of the Peninsula Hotels, Four Seasons, etc - and while the rooms don't compare - the service is top notch.

p.s. free wireless internet access in the lobby also is nice

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — the location and great service from the hotel employees
    • Disliked — no complaints here
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ratsoverboard's Summary
Date of Stay: March 2008
Traveled with: Friends
Visit was for: Quality time with friends
Age group: 35-49
Member since: May 12, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
absolutely!
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $184 (year-round)
Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com
“Nice location, BUT.......”

InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

3 of 5 stars
Guadalajara, Mexico
Feb 11, 2008
3/4 found this review helpful

After Cancun we are now in Vallarta our first night we did stay in the Intercontinental Hotel, here is what we found:

The hotel is perfect for some one who does not like to stay in Nuevo Vallarta never mind the reason, the location of the hotel does offer a good place if you wish to be a way from it all and still have the city within 20 minutes drive.

The Guest rooms are of good size, however the furniture are not what I am used to as Intercontinental Standards. Over all the Guest room is ok but for sure nothing very special.

The F&B outlets offer a Good and tasty F&B selection, in my view only the breakfast buffet is overpriced or better the price does not meet the quality selection offered in respect to Food items on display.

I did not like that the waiter told me twice that Tips are not included in the bill, basically asking me to pay an additional tip. Even so I do understand that Tips are part of their salary and should be paid, however for a 5 star hotel this is simply not the correct way.

Check in check out was fine even so there was a little confusion in respect to our reservation, however handed well; the room rates are on the high end keeping the Quality level in mind.

The Beach and Pool area was clean and well maintained, please be reminded to keep a very close EYE on your children, the waves at times are very high and the trop off is great just after a few meters of sandy beach.

If you look for a quite hotel away from it all we can recommend this hotel, but do not expect to have the kind of Guest Service Standards hotels in Nuevo Vallarta are offering.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — The Beach front and Pool area
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
GlobetroterCostaRica's Summary
Date of Stay: February 2008
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Other
Age group: 35-49
Member since: November 17, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun, Spa, Other
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $184 (year-round)
Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com
“Nice hotel, but...”

InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

4 of 5 stars
W Colorado
Feb 9, 2008
2/2 found this review helpful

Just got back from 9 mostly enjoyable nights at the El Presidente - large, comfortable suite on 7th floor w/ great view of Banderas Bay, decent housekeeping, wonderful bed, quiet. Only had breakfasts at resturant which were very good - skipped the Italian resturant. Hotel very quiet while I was there, essentially adult only by default except last couple days. Generally older, well heeled crowd. Never more than 4-5 couples around pool or on great little beach. Surf pretty agressive most of the time but swimmable.Defintely pay attention to Carlos if you take surf kayak out. Note hotels on this part of the bay are not very sunny this time of year and pool only had direct sun from maybe 1-5, also couldn't actually see sunsets from room or beach. Traffic from road plainly audible at night- probably true of all hotesl down south that are squeezed between bay and busy highway that goes on to Ixtapa, etc. Also had to get used to nearly continuous jackhammers on property about 200 yards away from 9ish to 6ish, every day but Sunday. Staff said Sly Stallone building a joint there. Massage was OK but nothing special, especially for $80. Staff generally quite friendly and unobtrusive.

Hotel about a 15-20 min bus ride to El Centro, 4 blocks from Malecon. Either 5 or 5.50 pesos depending on ?? driver, phase of the moon, who knows but cheap. Cab rides usually 70 pesos. Very close to Mismayloya which is fun place to hang for a day or two. The canopy zip line at El Eden nearby is great too.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — spacious room, generally quiet, good for R&R
    • Disliked — no close by restutants, not very sunny/warm
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Mtnbound's Summary
Date of Stay: January 2008
Traveled with: Solo traveler
Visit was for: Other
Age group: 50-64
Member since: December 01, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Older travelers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Families with young children, Families with teenagers
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Other
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $184 (year-round)
Call now to book: 800-980-6424 from InterContinental.com

Reviews of InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta

( 14-18 of 141 )
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InterContinental Presidente Puerto Vallarta Also Known As

Address: Carretera a Barra de Navidad Km. 8.5, Puerto Vallarta 48300, Mexico